Integrated lead suspensions and components (such as flexures) for supporting read and/or write heads in disk drives are well known and in widespread use. So-called “subtractive” type integrated lead suspensions and associated methods for manufacturing the suspensions from multilayer sheets of material are disclosed, for example, in the Bennin et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,598,307 and 5,844,751. However, it is to be understood that “additive” processes are well known, and are equally adaptable to the present invention, and are within the scope of the claims.
Magneto restrictive (MR) and giant magneto restrictive (GMR) heads are commonly mounted to the suspensions. Heads of these types are very sensitive to damage due to “blown fuse” syndrome and electrostatic discharges (ESD). To minimize this damage, the leads of the heads themselves and/or the integrated leads on the suspensions can be electrically shunted (i.e., interconnected or shorted) during manufacturing operations. The stainless steel (i.e., spring metal) layer of the suspension or flexure also is sometimes electrically interconnected to one of the integrated leads to couple the stainless steel layer to ground potential.
It is sometimes necessary to conduct tests of the integrated leads and/or the heads. Any shunts on the leads must typically be removed before the tests can be performed. The leads and heads must be reshunted following the tests if it is again desired to protect the heads from damage. A number of approaches for shunting and reshunting MR and GMR heads, or otherwise electrically coupling the leads to the stainless steel layer during the various stages of the head suspension assembly manufacturing operations are known and disclosed, for example, in the following references.
InventorDocument No.Bajorek et al.U.S. 5,465,186Arya et al.U.S. 5,710,682Johansen et al.U.S. 5,877,933KandaU.S. 5,991,121Zarouri et al.U.S. 6,034,851Albrecht et al.U.S. 6,052,258Hiraoka et al.U.S. 6,075,676Yim et al.U.K. 2,343,304
There remains a continuing need for improved shunts. To be commercially viable, the shunts should be efficient to manufacture and use. Shunts which can be conveniently reused would be especially desirable.